Log:New Republic: Centerpoint Station

Jedi arrive on Centerpoint to help with Combat Ops.

OOC Date: July 16, 2021
Location: Corellia System
Participants: New Republic, Ban Iskender, Xavier Harcourt NPCing, Chani Tahn, Qutha Buvu Pah, Aryn Cortess

Centerpoint station was an odd looking construct left to flounder in the Corellian system. Ancient stories spoke of Killiks, and other species, creating this technology for mysterious purposes, though time and experimentation had revealed many valuable functionalities; one of which was moving planets. Centerpoint station was the reason Corellia System existed; it was not a solar system created by nature, but by fabricated forced of gravity.

Unfortunately, we don't know that yet. The strategic importance of this station is unknown. What is known is that Republic command wants the station taken back from the First Order, and they've sent a considerable element of troops to do it. Rumor is, a team of Jedi Knights has joined the fray where the fighting is the worst.

That rumor is true. A team of Jedi and allies have arrived via shuttle and have begun to offboard to speak with a commander from the Republic military in charge of operations on the station. As the shuttle lands, Captain Orton waits outside to address the Jedi, and fill them in on the current situation in Hollowtown.

Aryn Cortess is flying the U-Wing and lands it in the hangar controlled by friendly forces. As the craft settled upon its skids, Aryn deactivates the shield and flips a switch to unlock the hatch so the team can file out to a waiting Captain who looks nervous but prepared to speak with the team and bring them up to speed.

Ban Iskender looks more soldier than sorcerer in a full suit of pale grey durasteel armor. A holstered pistol tests on his left thigh, and an elaborate sword sheathed on his right, beneath a decorative green half-cape. He rises when the shuttle comes to a landing and steps to meet the Republic commander. A flick of green eyes to Orton's rank markers, and he greets in an even baritone, "At your service, Captain."

Goggles on his forehead, for now, hood back and keeping himself more to the middle back among the Jedi present, Qutha's head is on a slow swivel taking in the sights where they come to land. Brows lofted and mouth slightly open to the spectacle, "Great Light and Sun..." blinking several times, almost running into Ban and saved from the embarassment only by the tingling of the force warning him not to smash into the person in front of him.

Leaving him to blink rapidly and try not to look too chagrinned.

Exiting the U-Wing through the side hatch, Chani more hops down than steps down to bridge the gap between the ship's deck and the station's. Her gaze is cast down towards the end of the hangar, where vivid blue ray shielding is the only thing standing in the way between the Republic forces gathered here and the unforgiving vacuum of space, where temperatures exceed the hundreds and waver between extreme heat and extreme cold depending on which part of one's body is facing the system's star. That isn't even mentioning the bombardment of radiation, the powerful decompression of veins and arteries, and numerous other effects that Chani doesn't want to think about, but can't help but recall when the difference between life and death is inches of energy.

The tendons in her jaw make a brief appearance beneath her cheeks and then vanish when she forces a deep inhale in through her nose and peels her lips apart to exhale with a little more force. She doesn't adjust the feyd-cloth robe draped over her shoulder or the cream attire beneath it. Instead, the soles of her knee-high leather boots tap the rhythm of her gait against the deck and the hem of the robe sweeps about her ankles and legs with every step. Her hands are almost completely hidden underneath the over-sized sleeves of her robe, and the only truly visible skin is everything from the hollow of her throat up. All her dark hair is gathered up and swept back, where the inky tresses are fashioned into a tight bun to ensure her vision is unobscured and her hair isn't errantly flying all over the place in the middle of vigorous activity.

"I don't suppose you think they'll just surrender and leave peacefully?" Only half of Chani's tone suggests she's serious. The hopefulness is there, though.

Hired as an extra gun on this mission, Mathias is a stoic man that keeps mostly to himself. Words are few and far between: to the point when he must speak at all. Ths mission is clear: retake the area lost to the First. Follow orders. Don't get killed. Standard procedure.

Exiting the the shuttle, Mathias stays back from the others, his attention not only looking around their immediate area, but keeping himself aware of what's going on behind them, as well.

"Sir," The Captain says, responding to Ban, before examining the others. When Chani asks if the Stormtroopers would leave peacefully, the Captain clears his throat and shakes his head no. "I'm afraid not, ma'am. Everything we control about this station has been earned in harsh fighting. Given the complexity of this structure, it's been difficult to push units to key locations in order to capture it all back."

Aryn steps off the ship behind them, brushing her cape aside to display the curved hilt clipped at her hip. The Captain nods, and asks Ban, "Is this all your number, sir?" He didn't look or seem convinced their party would be enough. Kiko is the last to come off the craft, and she lands upon the deck in heavy armor and adjusts the rifle she is carrying. To signal that no one else was coming, Kiko shut the hatch to the U-Wing.

"Right, well.. our biggest problem is getting a platoon through Hollowtown. Intelligence says there's a group of native Corellians being held in the local jail.. and we need them free. Unfortunately, every squad I send gets ambushed and doesn't have time enough or warning enough to react. It's like Stormtroopers are just.. coming out of the walls or something. We can't track them, not even with sophisticated scanning technology. Maybe your.. ahem.. Force? can better detect what our tech can't see." Captain Orton scratches the back of his head, glancing between Mathias and Qutha, before looking back to Ban.

"One may certainly hope, mistress Tahn," Ban responds with his composure unshaken, but the hint of a smile in his voice. As Captain Orton lays out the situation, Ban nods at several junctures, concealing mild surprise at Orton's deferential manner. "If any known schematics of the region in question are available, I would thank you for access to them, Captain. Else," he looks between the others who have just arrived, "I am disinclined to wait overlong, lest our foes lost patience with their prisoners." Back to Orton. "Are these captives soldiers or civilians, sir? As to the Force," he does allow a small smile, repeating, "One can certainly hope. I have utmost confidence this band shall be sufficient to the task."

"I could always dress down to something more like I'm used, the farm-yokel clothes I forget who called them." Qutha notes, "Not any of us or the order. I only met him the once in passing." a momentary pause, "Seemed a nice enough fellow but" he's babbling, "I'm babbling... I am. Bother." adjusting his collar slightly and looking between the others before back to Orton,

"Not to be a worry, better we take the risk than any more of you and yours, sir." blinking and raising his hands as if to ward off attack, "Not that you and yours aren't a capable lot, I didn't mean. Not at all. Just... If our instincts can work better than sensor equipment, you know? And yours have suffered enough, what with the attacks as you've described, and I" am babbling again, "Oh.. er. Bother and blow." a sniff as he gets his composure.

"We're more than happy to be at your service, Captain." bowing his head, face turning quite green.

"Curious." Chani's remark is distant, much like her gaze. The Captain's insistence that the First Order won't give up and leave earns no response. It's his suggestion that stormtroopers are simply coming through solid material that earns her absent-minded acknowledgment. Studying the wall of the hangar, now, instead of the exit, Chani's gaze ventures from one point to the next. Her arms lift from her sides and her hands pass by one another to blend the two sleeves of the robe into what appears to be one long tunnel of feyd-cloth. The entrance is hidden behind the way the fabric is rippled and folded against itself. The mention of prisoners is what draws Chani's attention back from its astute sweep of their environment.

It trails from the Captain to Lord Iskender and then Princess Cortess, as if searching their faces for something only she can read on the noble features present in both. Her lips remain parted enough that a subtle hint of white can be glimpsed beyond them, but she doesn't speak. She is neither someone of military rank or someone of standing within the Order. In times like this, it is best to follow and keep her mind both open and focused on learning what she can in situations she knows little about. The only thing familiar about any of this is the fact that she'll once again find herself on the business end of the stormtrooper's blater rifles.

Mathias has nothing to offer in regards to tactical planning and banter. He wasn't hired for his witty remarks. Gun in hand with the barrel pointed towards the floor, his grey eyes continue to look around while keeping his ears open; stoic face unchanging whether it is in regards of prisoners or talks of the Force.

"I'd offer schematics, but that's the other half of our problem. It's like this station changes. I recognize how weird that sounds, but everytime we get a schematic and use it, the terrain in the corridors, or streets in Hollowtown completely changes. We've been using lifesign scans to locate the largest concentration of life here on station, and we suspect that is where the prisoners are being kept. The prisoners are natives to the system and this station. We believe they're engineers and have some familiarity with this station. That's why it is imperative we get them. They may have other solutions to our stormtrooper problem."

Orton shifts and looks to Qutha. "If you insist we keep our platoon back, I will, I just hope you know what you're doing out there. These stormtroopers are damned good, especially at closequarters. But I won't argue with you, especially if it means saving the lives of my men."

Kiko speaks up, "Then just point us on our way, Captain, and we will get after it." The Captain nods and points through the hatch. Kiko nods and gives Ban a thumbs up. "After your lead, my Lord."

Aryn speaks up, "I should like to remain back to look at the maps they have. Maybe I can make sense of it and direct you at times. Lord Ban is capable of leading the party inside to see if we can track down these engineers. Captain, take me to your intelligence group and I will take a look." Aryn and Orton step off, leaving Ban to lead the group in the direction the Captain directed.

That direction brought them through a set of doors and into a massive, massive, massive atrium. The sheer size of this atrium was significantly overwhelming. It was literally a city, with buildings, streets, and structures. The sound of warfare far off is relegated to the blasts of rifles and small explosions of grenades. Meanwhile, the 'sky' of this place had a massive ball of energy which slowly moved overhead, like a star would on a planet which orbited it. This was the day cycle.

Ahead of them, at the entrance to the city, a Republic checkpoint battles it out with a group of stormtroopers further down the street. Barricades have been erected to provide cover while the two groups trade shots at one another. Unfortunately, a Republic trooper ends up getting shot in the chest, leaving two others to fend off the assault squad of stormtroopers moving down the street and capitalizing on the confusion. Ten (10) Stormtroopers move into range, hoping to close the distance and take out the only Republic defenders keeping FO away from the hangar.

Ban Iskender answers Orton with dry humor, "Then any further planning can only plan to be changed. We shall remain in contact as best we are able. Captain," is spoken in parting. A short bow of the head and shoulders is given to the departing Aryn. He acknowledges Kiko with her preferred title of "Commander," and steps towards the indicated hatch. Once the party moves out, "To the blaster-armed among us, remain near to one of the Jedi, that we might turn away the worst of what is sent unto us." The soldier draws his sword in the left hand- it is hilt alone, lacking a blade until a green beam is brought to life. "Those with a talent for sensing the living Force, do speak if one is able to detect life drawing near, unseen. We need be wary of false bulkheads."

As the band emerges into the deep space wonder's deep city and the Republic lines are beset, Ban raises his sword in a swift salute to the charging stormtroopers, and steps to meet them.

Troopers advancing and Qutha's hissing white saber is in hand to meet them, bracing at the charge of the line with a hard grimace setting on his features. "We needn't do this! We can talk peaceably I'm sure!"

It's a genuine gesture, but likely to be ignored none the less. There's some preference to this weapon though, for it's non-lethality. Even juxtapositioned to Qutha's actual utterance "I'm sorry!" when he is made to duck out of the way of an attempt to strike him with the folding stock and slam the energy blade against the poor sot's middle.

"Oh! Oh dear!" back pedaling away from another trooper before a series of quick, sloppy, 'bonks' slam down on the aggressor's helmet, battering him down.

"Dear oh dear..."

Chani might have been stunned by the sheer size of the station if she were able to focus her attention on the scenery and not the sheer sense of danger possessing almost every nerve ending in her body. The moment they step out into the atrium, Chani draws her lightsaber from her belt and into her right hand. The smooth metal cylinder is gripped near its upper half, but she does not yet place her left hand on the hilt. Red blaster rifle fire lances through the air around the checkpoint and digs carbon-scored holes that flicker with flames that try to catch fire to metal and stone and fail to do so. The Republic troopers are being hounded and are in danger of being overrun, meaning there's no chance to start with words first. That doesn't mean they have to be absent.

"Please lay down your weapons and surrender peacefully! You won't be harmed!" Chani is only able to speak for herself, however. There's nothing to be done about the armored Alderaanian Lord who wades into combat and cuts down the stormtroopers in his path. Chani hopes such a display of violence will convince them that her way is better. Still, there are Republic troopers in danger, and she does not hesitate to follow Lord Ban into the fray. Where his strikes are lethal, however, Chani's far less eloquent wielding of a lightsaber blade does nothing but cleave one blaster rifle in twain so that it's barrel is separated from the rest of it and the weapon itself is rendered worthless. The stormtrooper wielding it doesn't suffer the same fate. The soldier only finds themselves suddenly with no weapon in the middle of a dangerous situation.

A dark brown brow raises at the idea that the corridors and streets are changing. How is that even possible? It's enough to break Mathias from his stoicism and glance to the others he had come with, wondering if they have any idea how such a thing can even happen. He gives a shake of his head in order to force focus as the group move into the Hollowtown.

The sheer size of the atrium is definitely enough to give him pause. Craning his head back, Mathias looks upwards and around with a frown. Too many points of interest to keep a solid focus on. To Ban's words, Mathias offers a curt nod and a gruff: "Understood."

The Order is in front of him and Mathias is reacting out of instinct; drawing up next to Qutha and firing a blast of his rifle as blades of light snap to life around him.

The trooper without a weapon raises their hands, looking between the remaining troopers and the Jedi who have just entered the fray. At witnessing the surrender from one of their own, the injured stormtrooper fires at the disarmed one, prompting them to dive for cover, The Republic troopers, young soldiers, have taken to staying down in their cover (for now) until the Jedi have the situation in hand.

Kiko blasts one of the troopers, leaving them injured though clearly intending to blow them a part. She moves past Chani to get a more aggressive shooting position!

Aryn's voice comes over the comms, not aware they're already in conflict. <<"I have a schematic.. for as long as it lasts.. transmitting now.">>

Meanwhile, five (5) troopers remain, one (1) of which is injured.

Ban Iskender presses the advantage as the surrendering stormtrooper leaves a hitch in the enemy advance. Still moving much like a classically trained duelist, his lunging thrusts into sweeping vertical parries that flow immediately into a second thrust and a draw cut that leave three of the remaining combatants laid low. He thinks to cover Kiko's advance, but the blasts and blades of his fellows conclude the skirmish swiftly.

They shoot at their own surrendering sort! He was going to surrender!

"Hey was going to surrender!"

I just said that, Qutha.

The Zelosian moves in, intent on getting that one out of harms way, the only way he can think right now. If he's unconscious the others won't shoot him. "Sorry!!" shouted before he whomps the poor trooper upside the head. It is a he? Right? So many troopers are women too, hard to be sure sometimes; due to the armor and all.

But at least he's down and no longer threatened by his compatriots?

With one trooper alleviated of their weapon, Chani focuses on finding another to do the same thing. Many are cut down by both lightsaber and blaster rifle alike, leaving the ground littered with bodies. As the last remaining trooper attempts to level off at her, Chani guides the blade of her lightsaber down in a vertical, short chop that uses the least amount of effort and depth necessary to achieve her goal. With the weapon separated into two pieces, this trooper also finds themselves without a weapon to continue to fight. "Lord Iskender. Perhaps the Captain should send some men forward to gather up these prisoners? Those not stunned might prove valuable in providing some information about the station and these ambushes."

Per Ban's orders, Mathias is staying close to the first Jedi he saw. It's just too bad that said Jedi is the one bonking the enemies instead of slicing throug them and yet seeming very, very sorry about it. With his first shot going wide and menacing a particulary suspicious building in the near distance, Mathias has to wonder if the odd Knight's mannerisms aren't projecting into him.

"You're sure you're cut out for this?" Mathias' voice is as flat and serious as his expression. Then again, Qutha did manage to bonk a few into submission while Chani disarmed a couple and Ban... well, Ban is a man after Mathias' own heart, really. If Mathias preferred the sword, that is.

The enemy dispatched Mathias relaxes his stance, points his barrel to the ground once more, and looks around at the mixture of carnage and mercy. Hmmmm.

The checkpoint is retaken, and the surrendering Stormtrooper is joined by a second, and they group together, hands up still. The Republic troopers take Chani's suggestion and call it in. A few moments later, a new squad is coming out of the hangar to gather the two troopers and haul them back.

Aryn's voice cuts over the comms again. <<"We are seeing another deviation in the mapping. It seems like a computer program or something you might see in a simulation. This would explain how troops are coming out of the walls, allegedly. Your surroundings could be fabricated!">>